Folding door



July 27, 1954 N, W, COREY V2,684,714

FOLDING DOOR Filed Aug. 25, y1955 Patented July 27, 17,954

UNITED STATES PATEN'I" OFFICE Norris W. Corey, Manchester, N. H.

Application August 25, 1953, Serial No. 376,361

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to improved folding doors useful as cupboard doors and the like, and has as its main objective to provide a closure which has heretofore unrealized advantages in simplicity of operation, economy and saving of space.

The folding doors of the invention do not require the space needed by conventional swinging or sliding doors in which to open and shut, nor do they occupy as much space in open position. They eliminate the necessity for recesses, space occupying door jambs and overlapping, all of which complicate door structures and confine otherwise useful openings.

The folding doors of the present invention are particularly adapted for use on kitchen cupboards and the like, and eliminate danger ofV head injury from outwardly projecting open swinging doors which are normally used on cupboards as, for example, over sinks and work benches. They also solve door problems involved when cabinets are placed closely adjacent at corners where conventional doors otherwise interfere with each other.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1. is a front elevation of a cupboard door embodying the present invention and shown in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the door in open position;

Fig. 3 is a cross section through the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross section through the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the door moved part way toward open position;

Fig. 6 is a detail of one of the sldable hinges of the door as viewed from the rear.

Referring to the drawings the folding door indicated at I0 comprises generally a series of pairs of hinged panels II and I2 having inside edges IIa and IZa and outside edges IIband IZb. The edges IIa and I2a may be rabbetted to interit as indicated at I3, Fig. 4, and are hinged together to break relatively inwardly by a hinge I4 attached to the front of the edges I Ia and I2a.

'I'he edges IIb and I2b are cooperatively beveled as indicated at I6 and I'I and shown in Fig. 4, and the edge I6 is undercut as at I9 to provide clearance for a purpose to be described. The edges IIb and I2b are hinged together to break outwardly by a sldable hinge 2|, one

. leaf 22 of which is rigidly attached to the back of the edge I 2b, and the other leaf 23 of which is slidably attached in an elongated mortice or groove 24 in the back of the edge IIb by a screw 25 through a horizontal slot 26 in the leaf 23.

When the door I0 is closed, its panels II and I 2 lie edge to edge with their faces in line and across the door space between upper and lower tracks 30. The panel edges I2a are at all times pivotally and slidably contained between the tracks 30 by pins 3l at their ends which engage the tracks 30. Alternatively the pins 3I may pivot in lugs which in turn, are sldable in the tracks 30. At the left hand edge of the door I0, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3, the panel edge I Ia is pivotally anchored in place at one side of the door space by pins 32 extending from the ends of the panel edge Ila and received in holes in the jambs at top and bottom. At the right hand edge of the door I0, as seen in Figs. 1-3, a latch 33 is provided on the edge I 2a engageable with a catch 34 in the adjacent jamb to hold the door in closed position.

The door is opened by the application of pressure to the left against the extreme right hand panel I2 as viewed in Figs. 1-5. The surface I'I of each edge I 2b slides outwardly along the surface I6 of each edge IIb, this relative edgewise and outward sliding motion being allowed by reason of the slidability of the hinges 2| in their grooves 24 and the camming action of the bevelled edges. All of the outside adjacent panel edges IIb and I2b therefore break outwardly and the inside adjacent edges I Ia and Iza being retained in the tracks 30, are caused to slide to the left until the panels I I and I2 in an accordion-like movement are brought face to face normal to the tracks and at the left hand side as viewed in Fig. 2, with the door open. In closing the door, the operation is reversed.

I claim:

l. A folding door comprising in combination upper and lower tracks, at least one pair of vertical panels between and in line with the tracks in closed position, means sldable in the tracks securing a rst edge of a rst panel sldably between the tracks, a sldable hinge securing a second edge of said iirst panel to a first edge of a second panel and adapted to allow said first panel to slide edgewise relative to said second panel, said second edge of said rst panel and said first edge of said second panel being bevelled cooperatively relative to each other whereby edgewise pressure on one panel causes the hinged edges of the panels to break and the panels to approach a folded position normal to the tracks toward one end thereof.

2. AV folding door comprising in combination upper and lower tracks, at least one pair of vertical panels between the tracks, means slidable in the tracks securing a first edge of a rst panel slidably between the tracks, a hinge securing a second edge of said rst panel to a first edge of a second panel, said hinge having a leaf and a slot therein and means slidable in said slot securing the leaf to one of said panels whereby the rst and second -panels are slidable relative to each other within limits, and means pivotall'y securing a second edge of said second panel between the tracks, one of said hinged edges being bevelled relative to the other providing acamming action causing the hinged edges to break '21 and the panels to fold when pressure is exerted against one panel toward the other.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 806,209 Thomas Dec. 5, 1905 41,209h3t30 nTomkinson Dec. 19, 1916 Fb. 7, 1922 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 750,762 France June 6, 1933 

